readers

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

534. Timothy Taylor’s Landlord

Timothy Taylor has been producing “prize-winning Yorkshire Beers and Ales” since 1858 at the Knowle Spring Brewery in Keighly. Timothy Taylor’s Landlord—not to be confused with Chris Wyatt’s Landlord—is something of a staple in England, and, well, I can see why. Here’s to British beer!

Landlord pours a crisp, clear toffee caramel with a creamy and slightly off-white head that has stupendous retention. Visually, the beer is a pretty one—in addition to the clarity, it features small streaming bubbles that light up the beer. The nose is malt mixed with huskiness and light buttery toast. As well, there are hints of floral, musty, and earthy hop aromas. Flavors start with caramel malt sweetness mixed with creamy toffee; there is a floral earthy hop flavor in the front, although some of the floral components could be from the yeast. The middle features a gentle bitterness along with a slight creamy spiciness that tastes and feels hop-derived. It almost comes across as a light herbal mintiness—bright and crisp on the tongue. A touch of graininess comes out in the finish, along with gentle lingering bitterness. The beer is bright and clean; the medium body and prickly, restrained carbonation keeps the beer light on the tongue. It is smooth and even from start to finish. It is certainly a classic. I’m happy to finally taste the original: while it is a bit darker than the one we brewed for the Rockit Cup, the flavors are similar, although this beer has more body and depth. The hint of herbal mintiness is a nice touch in the beer. Landlord is a standard-bearer for the easy-drinking session beer that American craft brewing should be aspiring to replicate: nothing flashy, nothing showy, just straight pure quality. I’d drink pints of this all night long. And so would you.

From the bottle: “Landlord is the classic pale ale, brewed in the traditional way from the famous Knowle Spring water, using only the finest malt and leaf hops. This full-flavoured brew has been crowned Supreme Champion Beer of Britain four times at the Great British Beer Festival; no other beer in the U.K. has won as many awards. Timothy Taylor started brewing at Keighley in 1858, and his business continues as a family company at the original brewery, maintaining the tradition of excellence he established.”

From the Timothy Taylor website: “A Classic Strong Pale Ale, Landlord has won more awards nationally than any other beer: This includes four times as Champion at the Brewers’ International Exhibition and four times as CAMRA’s beer of the year. Refreshingly reliable, nationally renowned, this full drinking Pale Ale with a complex and hoppy aroma has real ‘Pulling Power’ and stands out in any bar as the ideal regular.”

They also have an entry for Bottled Landlord: “The bottled version of the Classic Pale Ale that commands its own loyal following. Bottled Landlord boasts six national awards in recent years and is a natural selection for those who wish to enjoy beer at home.”